Being Christian – SSJE - Podcast Details

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SSJE SermonsGod’s Radiant Purity – Br. James KoesterBr. James Koester Macrina of Caesarea Mark 3:20-35 A few weeks ago, we remembered one of the great Eastern saints of the church, Basil of Caesarea. Today we remember another member of that remarkable family, his sister Macrina. I use the word remarkable to describe this family on purpose, because not only are the siblings Basil and Macrina regarded as saints, but so too are their grandparents,[1] parents,[2] two other brothers,[3] and a sister![4] Pity the other four siblings whose names we don’t know, and who are not counted among the saints of...2025-07-1904 min

SSJEGod’s Radiant Purity – Br. James KoesterBr. James Koester Macrina of Caesarea Mark 3:20-35 A few weeks ago, we remembered one of the great Eastern saints of the church, Basil of Caesarea. Today we remember another member of that remarkable family, his sister Macrina. I use the word remarkable to describe this family on purpose, because not only are the siblings Basil and Macrina regarded as saints, but so too are their grandparents,[1] parents,[2] two other brothers,[3] and a sister![4] Pity the other four siblings whose names we don’t know, and who are not counted among the saints of...2025-07-1904 min

SSJE SermonsThe Communal Vision of St. Benedict – Br. Lucas HallBr. Lucas Hall SSJE Benedict of Nursia Today is the feast of St. Benedict. He is one of the most influential people in Western history, certainly in the Church. Benedict, having learned from teachers in the Greek-speaking East, was one of a few sources in the West bringing forth the tradition of communal monasticism. He wasn’t the first, but he quickly became the most popular, setting the stage for a solid millennium of Benedictine monasticism being the primary form of Christian intentional community. There is much to explore about Benedict, but I be...2025-07-1107 min

SSJEThe Communal Vision of St. Benedict – Br. Lucas HallBr. Lucas Hall SSJE Benedict of Nursia Today is the feast of St. Benedict. He is one of the most influential people in Western history, certainly in the Church. Benedict, having learned from teachers in the Greek-speaking East, was one of a few sources in the West bringing forth the tradition of communal monasticism. He wasn’t the first, but he quickly became the most popular, setting the stage for a solid millennium of Benedictine monasticism being the primary form of Christian intentional community. There is much to explore about Benedict, but I be...2025-07-1107 min

Faith – SSJEStriving with Angels – Br. Keith Nelson Genesis 32:22-32 One of my favorite contemporary poems is “The House of Belonging,” by David Whyte. The speaker in the poem awakens one morning and ponders a series of truths in the quiet of the house he calls home – the home he has made as an adult. Here are the closing words: This is the temple of my adult aloneness and I belong to that aloneness as I belong to my life. There is no house like the house of belonging. It’s clear that the...2025-07-0909 min

SSJE SermonsStriving with Angels – Br. Keith Nelson Genesis 32:22-32 One of my favorite contemporary poems is “The House of Belonging,” by David Whyte. The speaker in the poem awakens one morning and ponders a series of truths in the quiet of the house he calls home – the home he has made as an adult. Here are the closing words: This is the temple of my adult aloneness and I belong to that aloneness as I belong to my life. There is no house like the house of belonging. It’s clear that the...2025-07-0909 min

SSJEStriving with Angels – Br. Keith Nelson Genesis 32:22-32 One of my favorite contemporary poems is “The House of Belonging,” by David Whyte. The speaker in the poem awakens one morning and ponders a series of truths in the quiet of the house he calls home – the home he has made as an adult. Here are the closing words: This is the temple of my adult aloneness and I belong to that aloneness as I belong to my life. There is no house like the house of belonging. It’s clear that the...2025-07-0909 min

SSJE SermonsLiving and Resting in Peace – Br. Curtis Almquist Monthly Requiem Psalm 116:1-8 Today we remember the Brothers of the Society of St. John the Evangelist who have died in the month of July since we were founded in 1866, our Monthly Requiem. The word “requiem” comes from the Latin, “to repose, to sleep, to rest.”[i] At the time of someone’s death we pray: “Depart, O Christian soul, out of this world… May your rest be this day in peace.”[ii] This practice of celebrating a Requiem is important to us Brothers. It may also be a helpful prac...2025-07-0304 min

SSJELiving and Resting in Peace – Br. Curtis Almquist Monthly Requiem Psalm 116:1-8 Today we remember the Brothers of the Society of St. John the Evangelist who have died in the month of July since we were founded in 1866, our Monthly Requiem. The word “requiem” comes from the Latin, “to repose, to sleep, to rest.”[i] At the time of someone’s death we pray: “Depart, O Christian soul, out of this world… May your rest be this day in peace.”[ii] This practice of celebrating a Requiem is important to us Brothers. It may also be a helpful prac...2025-07-0304 min

Spiritual Practice – SSJETeem with Light – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist John 1:1-18 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the l...2024-12-2916 min

Being Christian – SSJEPerceive – Br. Luke DitewigBr. Luke Ditewig Psalm 115:1-10 Matthew 9:32-38 I have gotten water in my ear while swimming. Muffled, it took a lot more effort to hear and pay attention. Remember what it’s like to lose part of your perception. The psalmist tonight says idols, gods which humans make, are not worth worship. “They have mouths but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.” Idols cannot perceive. Don’t trust them, says the psalmist. Rather, “you who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord.” Likewise, God speaks through the prophet Hosea, not a...2024-07-1005 min

Virtues – SSJECaptives to Truth – Br. Lain WilsonFeast of Irenaeus of Lyons 2 Timothy 2:22-26 “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness” (2 Tim 2:24-25). I’m not sure “gentle” is how I’d first characterize Irenaeus, the second-century theologian and bishop whom we remember today. In his great work Against Heresies, he sought to combat the heterodox versions of Christianity that surrounded him in a point-by-point refutation of their beliefs. At the same time, he laid out a Christian vision that affirmed the authority of the apostolic tradition and...2024-06-2805 min

Being Christian – SSJEBuilding Strong and Storing Up Treasure – Br. David VryhofBr. David Vryhof I Corinthians 3:10-14 Matthew 6:19-24 When I was in seminary – now, quite a few years ago – I took a course in preaching. Whether or not it did me any good, I’ll let you decide. One of the things I remember from that class was the professor’s admonition to first seek out the tone and intention of the text, and then craft a sermon that reflects that same tone and intention. In other words, consider the author’s purpose and follow it. If the text is written to encourage its readers, your...2024-05-0606 min

The Discerning Leader PodcastReengaging the Passion | Holy Week Interlude, Episode 2 (REPRISE)Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: David Vryhof This is a reprise of the Holy Week Interlude episode 2 which aired on April 6, 2023 “Death gives way to life. Not only lived out by Jesus but meant to be lived out by each of us.” – David Vryhof, SSJE Holy Week is considered the climax of the Christian year. The service that starts on Maundy Thursday continues all the way to the Easter Vigil and is the capstone of Holy Week. Steve Macchia and Brother David Vryhof return to the podcast to discuss how the liturgical worship of holy w...2024-03-2850 min

Being Christian – SSJEAn Ever-Unfolding Purpose – Br. Keith NelsonBr. Keith Nelson St. Gregory of Nyssa John 14:23-26 In John’s gospel we hear Jesus say: “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” What does it mean for us as followers of Jesus to be taught by the guidance of the Holy Spirit? How might that guidance be felt and known in new ways during our jo...2024-03-0906 min

Redemption – SSJEJoy in the Midst of Grief – Br. Lain WilsonLuke 18:9-14 Psalm 30 Philippians 1:15-20 Just over 1600 years ago, a young couple dreamed a dream: “One night we went to sleep, greatly upset, and we saw ourselves, both of us, passing through a very narrow crack in a wall. We were gripped with panic by the cramped space, so that it seemed as if we were about to die.” This young couple was Valerius Pinianus and his wife, Melania. They were two of the super-rich of the later Roman world. They were also Christians. And at this period in history these two...2024-02-2708 min

Being Christian – SSJEAsh Wednesday Hangover – Br. Jack CrowleyBr. Jack Crowley Luke 9:18-25 The Thursday after Ash Wednesday feels like a hangover. Shrove Tuesday is full of excitement and pancakes. Ash Wednesday is solemn and full of reflective work. Then this Thursday comes along, and it doesn’t even have its own nickname. It’s just the second day of Lent. In any journey, there’s always that feeling when the initial excitement of something beginning has worn off and you get a sense of how long the journey is actually going to take. It’s that part of a hike when after...2024-02-1504 min

Being Christian – SSJELife Giving Choices – Br. David VryhofBr. David Vryhof Matthew 7:21-27 In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus concludes his famous “Sermon on the Mount” with a series of contrasting images: 13-15 There is a narrow gate and a wide gate, says Jesus. The narrow gate leads to a hard road, while the wide gate opens to an easy road. The first leads to life, while the second leads to destruction. 15-16 There are good prophets and false prophets, says Jesus. The false prophets are those who come “in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” You will be able to distinguish betwee...2023-12-0705 min

Church Year – SSJEWake up and watch – Br. Geoffrey TristramBr. Geoffrey Tristram Mark 13:24-37 Today is Advent Sunday – the first day of a new Christian year. It is, as the Scriptures urge, a time to wake up. To shake ourselves, to take stock of our lives. And to do it NOW! There is an urgency to Advent. Urgent, because God is working his purposes out in our world and in our lives. Advent proclaims loud and clear that there IS a purpose to our lives, and that there will be an end, and that that end is coming ever nearer. For that reason, Advent has...2023-12-0314 min

Being Christian – SSJEEverything You Do Matters – Br. Lain WilsonFeast of Saint James of Jerusalem When was the last time you wore a uniform? I remember all the uniforms I’ve worn over the years, whether for sports or school or choir. They each signaled commitment, belonging, and interest, and equipped me for performance. I also remember something my parents told me: that when I wore a uniform, I wasn’t only representing myself—I was representing the group I belonged to. I took on the reputation of the group when I put on the uniform—and, just as importantly, my behavior contributed back to that...2023-10-2407 min

Being Christian – SSJEI Come to Serve – Br. James Koester Matthew 5:1-10 I Come to Serve[1] There is a legend told of St. Edward the Confessor, whose feast we keep today, about 2 pilgrims, an old man, and a ring. One day King Edward was out walking near his great church, Westminster Abbey, when an old beggar approached him asking for alms. The King removed from his hand a valuable ring, which contained a large sapphire, and gave it to the beggar. Years later two pilgrims from England travelled to the Holy Land, where they encountered an old man. The man revealed himself as...2023-10-1304 min

Redemption – SSJEFalling and Rising – Br. Geoffrey TristramBr. Geoffrey Tristram Philippians 3: 4b-14 A visitor to a monastery went up to the abbot, and asked him, ‘What do you monks do all day? The abbot replied, ‘We fall down and we get up again. We fall down and we get up again.’ I think that is a pretty good description not just of the monastic life, but of the Christian life itself. It describes I think each one of us who try to follow Jesus Christ. As we try to live this life, we inevitably fall, mess up, we make mistakes, we sin, we fall...2023-10-0815 min

Being Christian – SSJEThe Gift and Promise of Hope – Br. James KoesterZechariah 8:20-23 Luke 9:51-51 For a single chapter, it’s pretty hard to beat the ninth chapter of Luke’s gospel for action. There is a ton of stuff going on. What we have in tonight’s reading is just a tiny fraction of the action. If it weren’t for the fact that this rather curious, and I must admit slightly disturbing account of people’s refusal to attend to Jesus’ message, and the threatened consequence, was the assigned gospel text for today, I’d be tempted to gloss over it. In the verses just be...2023-10-0314 min

Being Christian – SSJEMake Your Gifts Your Prayer – Br. Lain WilsonLeviticus 23:1-11, 26-38 Matthew 13:54-58 A juggler enters a monastery. He soon discovers that, unlike the other monks, he’s not good at typical monkish things: he can’t cook, he can’t sing, he has terrible handwriting. The only thing he can do is juggle, and what use is that? In despair, he goes one night to a statue of the Virgin Mary . . . and juggles—offering to her, as his prayer, the only thing he has. The medieval French tale of the “Juggler of Our Lady” imparts a familiar lesson: God gives us gifts that Go...2023-08-0403 min

Being Christian – SSJEPromises, Promises – Br. David VryhofBr. David Vryhof Exodus 24:3-8 I’m impressed this morning by the whole-hearted response of the Israelites to the Law that God gave them through Moses: “Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice: ‘All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.’“ (v. 3) And just a few verses later: “Then [Moses] took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, ‘All that the Lord...2023-07-2906 min

Call – SSJEChosen to Share – Br. Luke DitewigBr. Luke Ditewig St. Mary Magdalene John 20:11-18 “I have seen the Lord.” Today we celebrate Mary Magdalene. After his resurrection, Jesus first appeared to Mary. Jesus first sent Mary to share the good news. We know little of her story, but Jesus chose Mary. Jesus cast out from her seven demons. She experienced release and freedom, love and compassion. Mary traveled with and followed Jesus, witnessing his ministry. Receiving much, she kept coming, as she did even to the tomb. Weeping, Mary did not recognize nor fear angels as m...2023-07-2207 min

Redemption – SSJEBeing Saved by the Good Shepherd – Br. Jonathan MauryBr. Jonathan Maury Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 23 1 Peter 2:19-25 John 10:1-10 ‘Are you saved? Have you been saved?’—the usual opening lines of the would-be Christian evangelist’s speech when accosting a supposed unbeliever. Sincerely held convictions and good intention usually lie behind these expressions of concern for our ‘spiritual’ well-being. But a ‘one-step’ profession of accepting Jesus as your Savior leading immediately to the state of ‘salvation’ is simplistic and can be dangerously ego-centered. Personally ‘achieving salvation’ is not a check-list item for being ‘admitted to heaven’ when we die. Listen for a moment to words...2023-04-3012 min

Church Year – SSJEA Radical Act – Br. David VryhofBr. David Vryhof John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Some years ago I had the privilege of taking a course with Dr. Stanley Hauerwas, a prominent theologian who was then on the faculty of the Divinity School at Duke University. Dr. Hauerwas, the son of a bricklayer, was a straight-shooting, no-nonsense kind of guy who believed that living as true disciples of Jesus in the world would necessarily put us in conflict with the culture which surrounds us. That was a radical statement to make, but what was even more shocking and unexpected was his insistence that participating i...2023-04-0711 min

The Discerning Leader PodcastReengaging the Passion – Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday | Holy Week Interlude (Ep 02)Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: David Vryhof “Death gives way to life. Not only lived out by Jesus but meant to be lived out by each of us.” – David Vryhof, SSJE Holy Week is considered the climax of the Christian year. The service that starts on Maundy Thursday continues all the way to the Easter Vigil and is the capstone of Holy Week. Steve Macchia and Brother David Vryhof return to the podcast to discuss how the liturgical worship of holy week very much engages our body with our mind and heart. During these days we recogn...2023-04-0649 min

Being Christian – SSJEMending a Broken World – Br. Geoffrey TristramBr. Geoffrey Tristram Genesis 2:3:1-7 Matthew 4:1-11 Today is the first Sunday in the holy season of Lent. ‘I hate Lent!’ So said Jonathan Swift. ‘I hate Lent, with its different diets and herb porridge, and sour devout faces of people who only put on religion for seven weeks.’ I actually like Lent. Many of my brothers would I think say the same. It’s a time to get serious. Not just giving up chocolate. The Jesuit James Martin wrote, ‘Don’t give up chocolate; give up being a jerk! It’s time to get serious about...2023-02-2615 min

Being Christian – SSJEHome for Christmas – Br. David VryhofBr. David Vryhof I John 3:1-6 John 1:29-34 “Did you go home for Christmas?” That’s a question you’re likely to hear these days. “Were you at home for the holidays?” “Did the kids come home for Christmas?” It’s a common theme at this time of year. We naturally associate the holiday season with “coming home.” Retailers pick up on the theme, offering us images of families gathered before the fireplace or around the Christmas tree. “I’ll be home for Christmas” plays over the loudspeaker in the grocery store. The idea of being “home” for the holidays app...2023-01-0309 min

Theology – SSJELove divine, wild and free – Br. Sean GlennBr. Sean Glenn Isaiah 1:10-18 Luke 19:1-10 This should come as a surprise to no one, but I really like liturgy. In fact, the Anglican tradition’s rich, sensual liturgical life is what beckoned me into the peculiar and frequently bewildering relationship that eventually brought me here to SSJE. That is, the peculiar and bewildering relationship with Jesus Christ. And so it should also not surprise anyone that this morning’s reading from Isaiah has from time to time arrested me—particularly as I have almost always encountered it within the context of Chr...2022-10-3012 min

Cowley Magazine – SSJEIdentity & Belonging in the Great Sacraments“If I want to be a follower of Jesus, do I have to identify as a Christian?” I was asked this question recently by a friend of mine (a member of the Millennial generation) who’s been exploring the teachings of Jesus. The question startled me. It startled me because it caused me to consider two concepts that are closely related to belief and the ways God engages with humanity: identity and belonging. It never occurred to me that someone on the verge of faith might have reservations about identifying with or belonging to the large, diverse popula...2022-10-2130 min

Cowley Magazine – SSJEAn Open Letter to Those Who are Spiritual-Not-ReligiousChristianity is so much more than you think In my mid-twenties, I considered myself a lapsed Roman Catholic who was spiritual, yet not religious. I loved Jesus Christ – I mean, a cross hung above my bed – but if you were to call me a Christian, I would cringe in disgust. If you are either a lapsed Christian, or someone who identifies as spiritual-not-religious, you may know exactly what I mean. Yet after a long and tumultuous ten-year journey, I now proudly call myself a Christian. The name of “Christian,” however, has a pro...2022-10-2007 min

Being Christian – SSJESomething Better and More Lasting – Br. James KoesterHebrews 10:32–39 It was Lent 1977, and Anglicans around the world were asked to flood the Ugandan postal service with Easter cards. A few weeks earlier, the Archbishop of Kampala, Janani Luwum[1] had disappeared. The government reported he had been killed in a car accident while resisting arrest. Weeks later his bullet riddled body was found dumped by the side of the road. He had been murdered, not simply on the orders of Idi Amin, the Ugandan dictator, but probably by Amin himself. I took several addresses, and months later I received cards in return, expressing gratitude that the ev...2022-06-0305 min

Being Christian – SSJETurn Aside and Behold a Great Sight – Br. Sean GlennBr. Sean Glenn Exodus 3:1-15 Luke 13:1-9 It is a cold November evening. The city streets outside your home are silent. The chill in the air is accompanied the thick feeling of foreboding. The silence of the empty streets breaks first as clocks throughout ring their peels to mark the 7:00 o’clock hour. Ten minutes later, the silence gives way a second time—not for the benign chime of mechanical clockwork, but for the sound you and your neighbors had been dreading for days: the distant rumble of military aircraft. You hold your breath for...2022-03-2006 min

Being Christian – SSJEJesus’ Sabbath Keeping: the No and the Yes – Br. Curtis AlmquistBr. Curtis Almquist Isaiah 58:9-14 Jesus would have known and practiced this prophecy of Isaiah – perhaps known it by heart – as Isaiah speaks about the sabbath day. “Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.” One way to “remember the holiness of the sabbath” is by what you don’t do: not working with your hands; not traveling about. As Isaiah says, “refraining from trampling the sabbath… not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs.” However sabbath-keeping is also about what you do practice: to abide, to pray, and to share m...2022-03-0503 min

Being Christian – SSJERisk, Trust, and Love – Br. Lucas HallBr. Lucas Hall Luke 6:27-38, Genesis 46:4-15 There’s an old story about the author and theologian C.S. Lewis, on his way out for drinks with a friend. Approached by a beggar asking for money, Lewis emptied his wallet and gave the stranger everything. His friend then said to Lewis, disapprovingly, “He’ll only spend it on drink,” to which Lewis responded, “If I kept it, so would I.” Today’s Gospel reading is about love. More specifically than that, though, it’s about the risk inherent to genuine love. “Love your enemies, do good t...2022-02-2008 min

Being Christian – SSJEMake Good News! – Br. Geoffrey TristramBr. Geoffrey Tristram John 1:1-18 Have you heard the news? That question often makes my heart sink, because it’s usually bad news! The year started with the violent attack on the US Capitol. Then all those cataclysmic climate events, racial attacks, mass shootings, a deeply broken and divided nation and world. And perhaps most disheartening of all, the devastating effects of the Covid virus. Such a diet of bad news, day after day, can profoundly affect the way that we see our own lives. We can look back over this year and see only th...2021-12-2612 min

The Discerning Leader PodcastBlessings of Advent | Discerning God in Advent and Christmastide (Ep 02)Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Br. Curtis Almquist, SSJE "Learning the value of waiting has largely been removed from our vocabulary. Advent gives us the gift of waiting." –Curtis Almquist, SSJE Advent is a season of anticipation. A time of preparation for the Christian community. The promised Messiah is coming in Jesus and the Church remembers once more. With a penitential quality to the season, Advent is a solemn time to pay attention to what is standing in the way of our walking in the way. It’s a time for personal reflection in our prayer clos...2021-12-1645 min

One More ThingRule of Life - Season Finale!In our last episode of the season, we discussed creating a Rule of Life! Our apologies for some challenges and feedback we had with the microphone a couple of times! In this episode, we discuss the collect for the the Third Sunday of Advent, and wrap up our season on the spiritual disciplines. Join us as we discuss what a rule of life is, how it guides us and helps us find balance and connect with God and our neighbor!Notes:1. The collect this week was Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent from Book...2021-12-0727 min

Being Christian – SSJESolid Rock – Br. Luke DitewigLuke 6:43-49 In the Holy Land, there is much solid rock, whether exposed, under a couple inches or under ten or more feet of soil. To build, one digs down however far it takes to use the foundation of solid rock. People build in the summer when it is dry not raining, yet it is hot. It is very hard work to break through the clay and dig down to solid rock. One may be tempted to skip the harder part, yet a sure foundation is essential to survive the winter floods.[i] Jesus said, “I...2021-09-1105 min

Theology – SSJEThe Defeat of Horrors – Br. Todd BlackhamMartyrs of the 20th and 21st Centuries 1 Peter 4:12-19 Ps. 69:31-36 Mk. 10:34-39 As recently as 2015, the extremist group ISIS produced a video to terrify the world. Dressed and hooded in black, the militants marched a group of 21 Coptic Christians dressed in orange, prison-style jumpsuits along a beach in Libya. The horrifying scene concluded with the cruel beheading of all 21 Christians. It shocked and horrified the world to see such a brazen act of violence not only perpetrated but promulgated to a global audience. One of the men was from either Ghana or Chad...2021-04-2406 min

Relationships – SSJEThe Advent of Patience – Br. Jack CrowleyPhilippians 2:1-11 We all know the feeling of waiting for that one guy who is always late. That feeling of quiet anger rising as the whole room waits for him to arrive so that the meeting can start. You try to be patient, you try some small talk, but soon the frustrating thoughts creep in… he always does this, God is he clueless, someone should say something to him. The moments drag by…then finally the tardy man arrives two minutes late, holding tea and toast. St. Paul encourages us tonight to regard others as bett...2020-11-2906 min